4
University Daily Kansan / Friday, February 28, 1992
OPINION
Students suffer from computer science tiff
Once more the Lawrence Journal World has delighted itself on the private infighting of the department of computer science of our University. On Feb. 23, the Journal World printed on its front page a story about a confidential report that recommends closing the department. The morbid interest this paper has in the maladies and faults of the department are not new. During the last months, the Journal World has made news out of the gossip and personal conflicts of the department.
The Journal World has printed with zest a long list of statements, complaints (founded and unfounded), and mutual accusations that administrators, faculty, teaching assistants and graduate students have unwisely and too freely let loose. Of the resulting mess and hostilities, the clear victims have been first and foremost the students, and secondly the entire University. While faculty, administrators, etc. fight their personal battles in the public arena, they have all forgotten that they are here to teach and educate students. It should seem clear to all the parties involved that the sad conclusion of their muddy wars will damage them all.
No one will win. Students, as usual,
will lose the most. I wonder how well a
Manuel
Mendez
Guest
columnist
computer science graduate will fare if his or her prospective employer has been exposed to all these dirty closet wars and the sensationalist reporting of the Journal World. Graduate students also will suffer because they will have to carry the now notorious fame of our department. The faculty and administrators can only further lose the respect of students and the University community. Moreover, if this battle does end with the death of the department, I question whether other universities or the private sector will gladly hire them after their many irresponsible indiscretions. The face and prestige of the University also have been blemished, but I suppose the warriors of this tempest in a tea cup are all too concerned to notice.
The idea of murdering the patient instead of curing him is as outrageous as it sounds. It has been quite unfortunate that the higher authorities at
Strong Hall have only promoted rumors by failing to immediately discard such absurd recommendation. Even if they proceed with this plan (in which, of course, students are not a consideration), it carries no guarantees of success. Should the department be split in two between engineering and mathematics, the problems of the department will simply be exported to the recipients of the spoils.
The right thing to do is clear. The chancellor and the dean of liberal arts and sciences should lead and work together with the department (students included) and restore order in the house. If somebody should refuse to cooperate, it should be made clear that obedience benefits no one. Unwilling parties should be disciplined. Furthermore, a thorough investigation should be initiated to unmask and punish the person who recklessly provided the Journal World with the confidential report that recommended the termination of the department. But above all, the warning parties should resolve their personal differences in private and follow this simple advice: shut up. All of us would greatly appreciate it.
Manuel Mendez is a Mexico City senior majoring in computer science.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Parking dispute ends in truce
Students vocalize their opinion to keep spaces, win respect from faculty members and Regents
Chancellor Gene Budig and interim vice chancellor Del Shankel came up with a truce that should pacify both sides in the dispute over 26 parking spaces.
The University Parking Board, University Senate Executive Committee and University Council wanted all of the 26 spaces in lot 11, which is east of Fraser Hall, to be restricted for faculty members until 8:30 p.m. But students wanted the spaces to remain restricted only until 5 p.m.
Budig and Shankel recommended to the Board of Regents that 11 of the spaces be reserved until 7:30 p.m. for vehicles with blue stickers. By doing this, they showed a willingness to consider students' views. They made the right decision.
Half of a parking lot may not seem like much, but this is a moral victory for students. One of the reasons for the compromise was student opposition to the proposed restriction. This opposition proved that if students
stood up for themselves and voiced their opinions they could make a difference.
At some universities throughout the country student opinion is not highly valued or simply not voiced. This was not the case with the parking spaces. All students involved should be proud of their efforts to assert their will. It is not always an easy thing to do.
Budig and Shankel should be commended for finding a reasonable solution to this problem. Their decision does not place one group's needs above the other's. Faculty and students are equally important. The compromise might not completely satisfy everyone, but at least both sides receive some compensation.
There is no perfect solution to a situation such as this one, unless another parking lot magically appears. But because that is not likely, faculty and students should try to make the best of the compromise and end the battle for parking spaces. If problems persist, all sides should work together for the creation of more parking spaces for everyone.
Amy Francis for the editorial board
Computer science needs help
The department has a duty to enlighten its majors about its problems and try to rectify them
a confidential report about the computer science department that was anonymously sent to the Lawrence Journal World exposed several problems. The department must address these problems. They are not new; they simply have not been dealt with.
The report outlined problems within the department and offered possible solutions. It suggested that unless conflicts between William Bulgren, head of the computer science department, and Zamir Bavel, professor of computer science, could be solved, the department should be dissolved.
In the age of computers, it would be unwise for the University of Kansas to eliminate its program. Bulgren has acknowledged the
national demand for computer science graduates.
James Muyskens, dean of liberal arts and sciences, has expressed frustration that the report was leaked.
But if a department is so plagued with problems that it could be dissolved, majors and potential majors in that department should be made aware of the problems, at least to the extent that they can make informed decisions pertaining to their majors.
According to the report, "The atmosphere of conflict in the department unfortunately affects students as well as faculty."
Although it is not clear where the blame for the department's problems lies, it is clear that students should be made aware of departmental problems when those problems affect the quality of education and threaten the existence of the department.
Julie Wasson for the editorial board
Shooting animals is OK
After reading David Caruso It IS "Don't shoot the animals" in the Feb. 20 Kansan, I thought I'd shed a little light on the subject. Mr. Caruso's vivid description of his 'dream' shows exactly how ignorant of the facts he really is. Caruso mentions to the hunter in his dream that he cannot understand the need to shoot animals when he is not starving. I wonder whether Mr. Caruso feels sorry for the defenseless cows killed to make his tennis shoes and Big Macs.
Caruso also makes the point that animals were surviving for millions of years without human interference. He is exactly right. What he fails to realize, however, is that animals are no longer free from human interference. Condominiums are being built on former forests, and swamps are being drained to create more farming lands. In fact, a great deal of territory still remains for wildlife is supported by hunter's organizations such as Ducks Unlimited. It is not hunters who are destroying wildlife populations; it is the destruction of habitat. Reduced territory can only support reduced wildlife populations.
Therefore, the excess creatures are left to die from disease and starvation. Because natural predators were destroyed by previous habitat destruction, hunters make up the gap.
Hunters are responsible for the maintenance of the animal populations we do have.
Mr. Caruso wants to look at cute fuzzy animals and cry "don't shoot them." What he doesn't want to do is look at the hard facts of habitat destruction and animal starvation. Perhaps an effort to stop territorial destruction would be better directed.
Jennifer Jirak
Burlington freshman
Letters to the editor
Words alienate men
Praise to Andrew Hodges' guest column of Feb. 24, a fine summary of the foolishness demonstrated by the female-partiality-in-language movement.
I was raised in the traditional male-dominated household. I also was indoctrinated with the male superiority beliefs so pervasive in America. I began realizing that as a new student here, and it has been only over the past two years that I have sought to reconstruct many of my previous conceptions of women. I credit the feminist movement for some of this positive change; however, some feminists' bickering over trivial interpretations of our language has grown wearisome.
All feminists who live tranquility should heed Hodges' advice: Chastising men for
usage of solid words such as "history" is vain,
wrong and will not help your cause; it will only
alienate men, especially the ones sensitive to
your objectives.
My advice to all men is simple: Relentlessly question all your preconceived notions about women. So ends my catechism.
Overland Park senior
ASK works for KU
in response to Chris Moeser's editorial in the Feb. 20 Kansan, I would like to assure the students of the University of Kansas that their concerns are being communicated to the Legislature. The Associated Students of Kansas employs two staff members in Topeka to ensure that the voices of students at all six Regents universities are heard. Additionally, when a campus experiences problems such as those KU faced last semester, the other members of ASK step forward to make sure the school's representation does not suffer.
ASK's priorities for this legislative session address the problems of inadequate state financing for higher education. We have targeted capital improvements (including repairing Hoch Auditorium) and restoration of full base-budget financing (including adequate faculty compensation) for particular
emphasis. ASK has also proposed financing mechanisms. As an organization, we have not been silent.
However, the writer is absolutely correct about two points. Students should be furious about the state's neglect of their universities, and they should take an active role in the debate. Students working with ASK have the unique opportunity to directly affect the quality and availability of higher education, but only if they are willing to get involved.
Executive director of ASK
Boss ad is questionable
At the risk of giving KJHK's John Boss more of the notoriety and publicity he craves, we'd like to ask a question regarding his "Boss Plays Cupid" promotion, advertised in the Feb. 18 *Kansan* under a blaring "NoPerverts Please!" heading.
As anyone who's had the dubious pleasure of listening to the John Boss Show a few times knows, Boss regularly makes a matter-of-fact declaration of his homophobia, probably in an attempt to cultivate his self-styled "controversial" persona. This is, we suppose, his prerogative; it's his show, and there is still a First Amendment to the Constitution in this country.
At any rate, any Boss listener seeing the Kansan ad must have been aware that the Bossman's use of the term "Perverts" meant, or at least included, homosexuals. (Perhaps Boss would have preferred the heading "No Homos Please!" if he'd thought he could get away with it, thereby tossing the Kansan's sales staff into a tizzy at the prospect of having to turn away an expensive quarter-page ad.) Obviously the possibility of pairing any gay couples for a St. Valentine's Day dinner at Quinton's Bar and Deli and a movie at Dickinson's Theatres did not tickle the Bossman's fancy.
Our question is this: Since KJHK (including its "John Boss Show") is financed primarily by every KU student's activity fee, why should an estimated 10 percent of the KU student population — plus whoever else doesn't measure up to John Boss' standards for "non-pervers" — be barred from winning a contest aired over KJHK because of their sexual orientation? Would Boss and his producers please find a few minutes to write a letter to the editor, as we have, so that the student body can be apprised of his explanation without having to tune in to his scummy little daily exercise in self-promotion?
Heather MacLaren St. Louis senior
KANSANSTAFF
TIFFANYHARNESS Editor
VANESSA FUHRMANS Managing editor
TOM EBLEN General manager, news adviser
Editors
News ... Mike Andrews
Editorial ... Beth Randolph
Planning ... Lara Gold
Campus ... Eric Gorski/Rochelle Olson
Sports ... Eric Nelson
Photo ... Julie Jackson
Features ... Debbie Myers
Graphics ... Alina Brainard/J Jeff Meesson
Editors
JENNIFER CLAXTON Business manager
JEANNE HINES Sales and marketing adviser
Business Staff
Campus sales mgr ... Bill LiBengoodg
Regional sales mgr .. Rich Harshburger
Co-op sales mgr ... Joa Johnson
Co-ops sales mgr ... Arnelson
Production mgrs ... Kim Wallace
... Lisa Keeler
Marketing director ... Clintax
Creative director ... Leanne Bryant
JAYSTEINER Retail sales manager
Business Staff
The writer must be typed, double-spaced and fewer than 200 words. They must include the writer's signature, name, address and telephone number. Writers affiliated with the University of Kansas must include class and hometown, or faculty or staff position. Guest columns should be typed, double-spaced and fewer than 700 words. The writer will be photographed. The Kansas reserves the right to reject or edit letters, guest columns and cartoons. They can be mailed or brought to the Kansas newsroom, 111 Staffer-Print Hall.
Stick
by David Rosenfield